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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · degree · ground · key · squash · trunk · object · pass

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. degree — temperature
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com